Love Me
by serindraxx
Summary: Lily Evans, a poor girl in the streets, catches James Potter's attention. Can a girl on the wrong side of the tracks finally get what she has always wanted? Rated M for a reason! R
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize, just the plot.

Love Me

She watched him across the room, her face thankfully hidden. He couldn't know what she was thinking of him.

He turned his head, laughing at something his date said. She felt the first stirrings of jealousy as he leaned over and brushed a kiss over the girl's blushing cheek.

There had to be a way to get to him.

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James looked over at the pushcart in front of him, a tingling running down his spine. He knew he had seen a flash of red hair. He looked back at his date, feeling foolish and wishing to god that he had never agreed to go. She looked put out that he wasn't listening.

"What were you saying, darling?" James asked, trying to get back in her good books and hopefully be able to get out of this with no hard feelings on her part.

"You know what, never mind, _darling_; I think I'll go meet up with some of my friends. Thanks for lunch," she said, throwing her napkin down.

James watched in bewilderment as she stormed off, leaving him to foot the bill. When he realized how expensive it had been, he threw money down on the table in disgust.

As he left the restaurant, the feeling that he was being followed tingled down his spine and he turned. Just as he started forward again, something in his parallel vision caught him and he turned his head instinctively.

A flash of red and then nothing was all he saw. He shook his head, annoyed at himself. "I'm not being followed," he said out loud, and then started to whistle off-key.

Meanwhile, back in the alley, a girl with red hair was leaning against the wall. Her chest was rising and falling, and she had to keep brushing her hair out of her eyes.

Her dress, which used to be a black color, was whitened with a wedding cake she had fallen into. Her red hair was covered in spaghetti sauce, and her face was covered in cream pie.

She didn't care at all about these things; her only thought was of her heart thudding from adrenaline and figuring out how to get James Potter to notice her.

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"James, you are being totally ridiculous about this," Remus Lupin muttered, trying to get his friend to listen. The evening outing that the three guys always took was slowly turning into a weekly nightmare. James wasn't even caring to listen to what his nonjudgmental friend was saying. And getting James to listen was like trying to get a wall to talk; impossible with a capital I.

James looked around the club he was hanging out in, swearing that none of the women wore the adequate amount of clothes for a hormone-driven male.

Just as he finished this thought, the sound of wolf-whistling and cat-calling caught his attention.

A girl, wearing nothing but a sheer cover over a black slit dress, was walking in and climbing up the stairway. She didn't seem too worried about the attention and her eyes seemed to take in no one but James.

Her slinky dress was slit all the way up her thigh, and low-cut above her breasts. Her come-hither stare was heating his blood even as she started dancing on her own.

"James, where the hell do you think you're going? You already have a girlfriend, or should I call her a fucking buddy?"

James turned at that. "I guess you could," he said, "seeing as all we ever do is fuck."

Remus sighed as he watched his friend walk away. He was going to end up getting hurt.

As James sidled up through the dancing crowd, the girl looked at him and he found himself drawn into her drowning pools of green. She was definitely a looker in his eyes.

She smiled seductively at him and he found himself saying, "Hi, and what might a girl such as yourself be doing here?"

She looked surprised by his question. Frowning she responded. "Isn't it obvious?" she asked, "I'm looking for a good time. Now, how about it? Got anything going for you tonight?"

James thought of what might be waiting for him at his apartment and shook his head. "Nope, not that I'm aware of," he replied, suddenly feeling awfully warm.

She smiled again, the glow dazzling even to his contact-covered eyes. This was going to be even hotter than things normally were for him.

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Remus watched, as James left the club with the new girl, and sighed as he went to the bar to get another drink to drown himself in.

Just as he sat down, a very drunk Sirius Black entered the covered area dragging a blonde floozy behind him. As Sirius blinked trying to get the blur out of his eyes, Remus took a closer look at the blonde.

It couldn't be… unless she had finally decided to drop James, the insensitive pig that he was.

"Sirius, who are you going with?" Remus asked, his voice slurred slightly from all the alcohol he had consumed.

Sirius looked confused. "It's Janet, why? I've been going with her for about a week now."

Janet… Janet what? Remus's alcohol-consumed brain was trying to remember, and then the girl laughed. Remus felt his eyes widen as the import of what was going on hit him.

"What did you do to your hair? Didn't it used to be brown?" he asked, as the girl slumped over the couch, carrying herself well for someone as out of it as she was.

She looked up, nodding her head. "Yeah, but I dyed it last week. I gave up on it when James decided to ignore me. I thought no one really cared too much. But what do you think?" she asked, the tears in her voice clear as she suddenly sobered up.

Remus shook his head. "I think I'm going to have to have a conversation with James about this in the morning," he murmured.

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James felt pushed into something, even though he really wanted to do it. He watched as she stretched herself out on the bed, her dress bunching up around her very petite waist.

She wore her black stockings, the garter snaps still attached. Her panties and bra were missing for some reason, as though she had expected something to happen when she dressed this evening.

He didn't even know her name, but she apparently knew his. "James, come on. Don't tell me you're still a virgin," she laughed, sitting up and pulling him forward.

"No I'm not," he said defensively as she started working on his belt.

She finally got the belt undone and started to unbutton his shirt. As it began to gape, he instinctively sucked in a lungful of air and sat still, trying to absorb what was going on.

She looked up at him, tilting her head to the side to study him. "If you're not a virgin then what are you?" she asked, rubbing her hands up and down his ribcage.

"A hormone-driven male," he snarled, trying to ignore the feelings she was invoking.

She laughed and stood up, letting her dress fall with a simple twitch of her hand. He looked at her, his mouth going dry. She was even more beautiful than he had first thought.

She leaned over him, feeling the heat radiating off of his skin. She pushed the shirt off of his shoulders and then pushed him down onto the mattress.

He looked up at her, and realized that the tables were turned on him. This wasn't Janet, and he found he didn't even give a damn.

Her mouth descended on his and he let out a soft groan as she felt his arousal press against her belly.

She let go, biting his lip and smiling at him; her hands, skilled as they were, rubbed against him, and he bit down on his bottom lip, refusing to respond.

His hands found themselves wrapped around her waist and suddenly flipped her over so that he was above her.

She arched her head and kissed every part of his torso that she could reach. He found his breath hitched in his lungs and tried to release it.

Her back was arched into him, rubbing against his arousal and he groaned as she incited his ardency.

"Make love to me," she whispered, her hands floating as she slid them down his chest.

A/N: okay this was first intended to be another oneshot but I guess I made another multi. Expect chapter two sometime this summer. I will have it; I'm just very busy next month. Please review since you took the time to read. Comments are welcome!

Serindraxx


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: none of what you see here belongs to me. I own the plot but that's it.

**Love Me**

As the sun washed over him, James Potter rolled over and looked at the clock sitting on his nightstand.

A soft sound behind him caused him to turn in shock, as a woman with red hair rolled over in her sleep.

No, no he couldn't have… the guilt washed over him and he got quickly out of bed. He didn't even know the woman's name!

She murmured again, nuzzling her face into her pillow and sighing.

He ran his hand agitatedly through his hair. What was he going to do?

He looked around the apartment, suddenly realizing that he wasn't even at his own place. He looked back at the bed and felt his cheeks burn at the heated things said in the night.

I need a shower, he thought, searching the room for his clothes. They were lying in a heap on the floor and he quickly grabbed them.

The shower was attached to the bedroom. As he checked to make sure that the water was hot, a sound from the other room entered into his hearing. It wasn't the sigh of a woman going back to sleep like he hoped however when the bathroom door opened and the steam coming from the shower exited the room.

He poked his head out. "Yes? Can I help you, miss?"

He suddenly wished he hadn't as the mussed and sleepy version of the erotic woman from last night entered into his blurred vision.

She looked at him in confusion, wondering why he was there, when the events of last night returned and she suddenly blushed.

Her eyes dropped, subconsciously, and she licked her lips.

He sighed and lifted her chin. She looked at him, her eyes watching him shyly.

"Who are you? When I made love to you last night, I didn't even know your name," he said, running his finger down her chin.

"I… I'm…" she started, licking her lips again. He waited patiently, his eyes a soft brown.

She breathed in raggedly, her lips opening. His thumb slid within, running against her tongue. She lifted her head and the burning in her eyes caused his stomach to clench.

The shower spray forgotten, he lowered his head, removing his thumb from her mouth, only to invade with his tongue, dancing with her.

She moaned, leaning into him. As suddenly as the kiss had started it ended. She looked confused, running her tongue over her mouth, and lifted her eyes to him.

"Why did you stop?" she asked in a throaty whisper, the wistful tone unmistakable.

"I still don't know who you are," he responded, breathing heavily. Her eyes dropped, and she toyed with her hands.

"M… My name is Lily Evans," she muttered to her hands, refusing to look at him. He lifted her chin, staring into her emerald eyes.

"That's why you looked familiar," he murmured and the fright in her eyes caused him to think about what to do with her.

"Oh please don't send me back there, I hate it there," she said, her voice oddly shrill. He raised his hands in understanding, stopping her tirade effectively.

"You hate it where? I'm confused," he said, his soaking hair falling in his eyes.

"At the prostitution agency," she murmured, blinking her eyes to get the excess water out.

"Come in here," he said, pulling on her arm to drag her into the shower. She resisted for nearly three seconds and then, as the water splashed her face, suddenly gave in.

The only sounds after that were heated words and loving endearments.

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James was lying on the mattress, Lily's head resting on his chest. His hands were playing with her hair and she was nuzzling her nose into his chest hair.

He sighed, feeling confusion well up within him as she began to breathe evenly.

He carefully moved her off of his chest and climbed out of bed. His head started pounding uncomfortably from his drinking binge last night.

He looked out of the bay window, the cloudy day making him nervous.

"What the hell is happening to me?" he asked himself out loud, conscious of Lily lying in the bed.

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Later that same week, everything seemed to go out of proportion.

Remus watched as Sirius went from Janet to another girl in a matter of days, as James walked away from his friends to be with someone of a lower status.

Someone who Remus was sure was a prostitute.

He stopped James the week after meeting Lily and asked him pointblank what was going on.

James shrugged, not sure how to answer. "I'm capable of handling this, and I know what she is," he said defensively as Remus opened his mouth.

"Well, how much are you paying her?" he asked, knowing that he had hit a mark with that question.

"I'm not paying her, she never even asked me to," James said angrily. The sound of annoyance in his voice caused Remus to think things over.

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"Lily, why don't you like the prostitute agency?" James asked, idly running his fingers through her hair.

She shuddered, "They do pay me, but it's not really love, and it doesn't feel right to me," she replied, rolling over on her side to watch him.

James nodded, wondering what was really going on in her mind.

"Look, I really don't want to talk about it," she muttered, resting her head on his arm and falling asleep.

He looked down at her, confusion etched in his face.

"What is this feeling?" he wondered, and finally fell asleep.

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A/N: okay this chapter isn't as long. I ran out of words to make it even longer. But it is the next chapter. Don't sue me!

Serindraxx


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. I really only own the plot, but let's face it, I'm not making money off of that!

**Love Me**

The next day and well into the evening, as Lily got ready to go out, James's thoughts strayed back to Remus's words. As he thought about them, he realized that he wasn't ready for her emotional baggage, or their relationship, but when he told her that, an hour later, she stood up, grabbing her wrap and her purse.

"Fine, go right ahead and go back to your _safe_ girlfriend. I'm sure that she will just love having _your _emotional baggage." Having said that, she stalked out, slamming the door behind her.

"I don't have any emotional baggage," he muttered, throwing money on the table. Growling at the mark she had left on his easily wounded ego, he left.

The chatter in the café had been quiet throughout this exchange, but suddenly it was full-force, everyone having something to say about the disgraceful teenage drama they had witnessed.

Unnoticed by any of the patrons, a woman pulled a Quick-Quotes Quill out of her bag, put it to her mouth, and put it to her parchment, talking to it even as the patrons' outrage grew louder.

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She was still writhing under him in ecstasy, but he couldn't do it. She wasn't Lily and it felt wrong, even though she was still his girlfriend.

"James, what the hell is your problem tonight? You usually aren't this reluctant to do anything related to sex with me," she said, disappointment hitting her, but she ignored it.

James ran his hand through his hair, uncomfortable, and looked at the ground, avoiding the issue.

"You're screwing someone else, aren't you?" she asked, humiliation cutting through her. "I guess I should have known. You've been distant with me lately," she replied to his questioning look.

He stood up. "Look, I can't do this anymore, I can't love you the way you need to be loved." He grabbed his clothes and walked away, leaving her in tears on the bed, confusion showing in her eyes.

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A month later, James was living on his own, was going through women almost half as fast as Sirius Black and not seeing his friends more than two hours a week. Even the normally easygoing werewolf was upset by his friend's easy dismissal of his advice.

There was not any doubt about James's love life nor was there any doubt of a disagreement between him and some woman he had been with.

It was all over the papers for a month.

**James Potter seen with mystery woman**

_August 7__th__, 1972_

_Last night, before a thousand people, James Potter, popular Quidditch star of Hogwarts School, was seen with a woman that everyone calls a disgrace to the community. Could it be that he has found someone that could bring about his destruction? _

_Special correspondent, Rita Skeeter, has the gossip that every one has been… _

_Continued pg 3_

Sirius read the headlines, looked at the picture underneath and visibly blanched. He didn't want to be the one to show the paper to his friend, knowing James's temper, so he gave the paper to Remus and said, "Um, I've got something to do. Talk to you later." And then he left.

Remus, curious about the article, flipped it to page three and read:

…_dying to hear. The scandal between Potter and the mystery woman he was with was that the affair happened even while Potter was dating Janet Jordans. Jordans, one of the most prominent of the wizarding community, went with Potter on the rebound from a bad relationship long before. None of the patrons could ever figure out why she went with him in the first place. Check back with Rita Skeeter when she comes back next week!_

Remus folded the paper, with a bad taste in his mouth. He remembered her from his years at Hogwarts, her being a few years older than him. So she was back huh? What did that mean for everybody living in London?

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A/N: okay, not quite as long, but at least it's an update. Don't skewer me, although I probably deserve it. Review?

Serindraxx


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters you recognize… I just like playing with them.

Love Me

The week dragged by, and Lily found herself looking forward to the bar scene. It had been a while since she had been and she wanted to dance her heart out.

She dressed up and rocked out, loving the power she had over everyone in the room. But her heart sank when she saw the one man she never wanted to see again.

He was watching her covetously, making her blood boil and her cheeks flushed.

It just made her work herself harder, teasing every male she danced with.

When he came up behind her and placed his hands on her waist, she jerked slightly, not wanting him to know her reaction to him.

"You should do this more often, it really turns me on," he whispered, moving his body seductively against her.

"Have you gotten over your emotional baggage then?" she said, her voice breathless.

She felt him stiffen slightly, but he said calmly, "I don't have any emotional baggage."

Of course you do, she thought, but you are getting so good at lying to yourself, you don't even know it.

She discovered that it was hard to breathe, his body totally making hers forget.

"Come home with me," he whispered, his hands wandering farther than was publicly allowed.

She turned herself, quickly wrapping her arms around his neck and placing her mouth on his.

"Is this a yes?" he asked against her lips, his eyes lighting eagerly. Her cheeks turned rosy and she nodded her head a fraction.

He quickly unwrapped her arms and grabbed her hand. She looked around covertly and grinned at him.

The night had gotten so much better, she thought, and let him drag her off.

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When James woke up a little later, he was surprised to see Lily sleeping next to him. He had thought she would leave as soon as he fell asleep.

She whispered something and rolled over. He held his breath as he crawled out of bed. He let it out in a whoosh as he made his way through the littered clothes and climbed into the shower.

When the sleep was washed away from his eyes, he started thinking about what Lily had said and done all through the night.

The steam was thick when he opened the shower door and climbed out. A sound had been niggling at the corner of his mind for the past five minutes and when he got out, he realized that Lily had entered the room.

Her breasts were heaving but he couldn't tell if she was crying or not.

He wandered over, wearing only the towel which was slung low over his lower body, and wrapped his arms around her.

"Lily, what's wrong?" he asked. She looked up at him.

"I… I was supposed to start, but I'm two weeks late and we never bothered with contraceptives," she muttered.

James felt his eyes grow wide. Was Lily pregnant?

A/N: I'm going to leave this here because I have nothing to continue it. This story will continue though… review?

Serindraxx


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own anything you may recognize…

Love Me

The sun rose, leaving a light shining over a room littered with clothing, and two people wrapped up in each other.

When Lily had dropped her bomb shell the night before, James had struggled with the consequences. This obviously meant that he was going to have to leave the Quidditch team, because who in their right mind was going to want a captain who worried about the affairs of whores?

He put the question to the back of his mind to contemplate later, when he was alone and not likely to be disturbed.

Her cheeks were tearstained from the salt water running from her eyes. The rims looked red and blotchy. She hadn't looked like this since the night she left James stranded at the restaurant.

James felt slightly guilty, but it was her own damn fault that she was pregnant, right? She should have asked about contraceptives before they started anything.

Seeing the anger in his eyes, Lily felt trapped, not knowing what was expected of her. Should she leave and not enter his life again? It wasn't like she was going to cause any heartbreak if she left. She had known about his emotional baggage and that this incident increased it tenfold, but she had still gotten involved with him again.

What was she going to do?

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"You got her pregnant, and then sent her away? How the hell could you do that, Prongs?" The raised voice caused a lot of unwanted attention, not least of which was the moving quill in the back of the room.

No one paid attention to the woman carrying a dragon skin purse. They were more interested in the battle going on in the middle of the room.

It had been a while since any of them had had such entertainment.

"Well, I didn't know what else to do… the woman is a fucking whore, Remus; do you hear me? What the hell am I supposed to do? Is she that positive the child is mine?"

"If you talk to her like that, it's no wonder she left without saying a word," Remus responded, flinching visibly at the language.

James shook his head and took a sip of his drink. The burn down his throat did nothing to ease the burn in his heart.

Remus watched him, not really pitying James as he should. For Merlin's sake, James had gotten involved with her, even _knowing _what the hell she was. Why was it any different, finding out that the woman was pregnant?

The sound of the door opening warned everybody before the breeze took the dying flames out.

No one was positive later what happened, because it happened so fast, but the moment the door opened, James and Remus had spun around in their seats, holding something in their hands.

The rest of the event was a blur because a flash had been seen and then the two entertainers had vanished.

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When James woke up sometime later, he had a splitting headache. The bump on his head wasn't self-inflicted; he put his hand up to check.

Yup, it was definitely not self-inflicted.

An eerie laugh was heard somewhere down the corridor, which sent chills running up his spine. He didn't like the sound of that laugh.

The laughter continued to be heard; only it was getting closer rather than far away.

The cell door opened, and a figure shrouded in black entered, leaving dark chills where he disappeared.

"Do you wonder, James Potter, why I brought you and your lupine friend here rather than meeting you on your territory?" he asked, his voice cold despite the warmth obviously meant.

James shook his head, although his mind was whirling.

"Huh, too bad, you'll find out anyway; I was just hoping you were curious. Actually I brought you here, because of a prophecy made against me years ago. The one meant to destroy me was to be born to a man who defied me three times. I'm here tonight, to take care of that threat."

James gulped. He had heard of a prophecy that spoke of that, but did it really mean him? Was he to have a child, only to lose it to this prophecy?

"What, no brave words from a Gryffindor such as you? I'm astounded. I would have expected something courageous at least." And for once in the man's life, he really sounded disappointed.

"Well, I guess there's nothing left for me to ask of you, is there, Potter?"

James shook his head, keeping his eyes up. He closed his eyes, any moment expecting the killing curse to hit him.

When the curse didn't hit him, James opened his eyes to see the most chilling sight: Lily was lying on the floor, blood dripping from a wound in her side.

What had he done to her?

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A/N: yes, I'm going to be mean, and leave you there. Please read and review! Only, no flames please; I can't read criticism through them.

Serindraxx


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything that you recognize here. It all belongs to J.K. Rowling. I'm just playing with the characters.**

**Love Me **

"NO!" the sound was ripped from his burning lungs, even though he felt that he couldn't go on.

"James, you can't go back there. You can't save her. She's gone…" Remus said, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. James just shook it off.

"I know she's still alive. She has to be," he murmured, shaking his head.

"James…"

The soft voice was heard by both of the men standing in the corridor. James turned his head automatically to the object of the discussion.

His eyes widened. "Lily, its okay, I'm right here," he said rushing to her side.

"Potter, I knew she meant something to you," said a cold voice, sending shivers down James' spine.

"Voldemort," he spat, "leave Lily alone, she has nothing to do with this."

"On the contrary, she does," said Voldemort smoothly, flicking his wand lazily. Lily screamed, her body writhing in pain.

James yelled, dropping in front of her, so that Voldemort's spell struck him instead. Voldemort laughed, and pulled his wand up. James panted, trying to get into a sitting position.

"You are much too valuable to hurt, Potter," he said, running his hand over the snake that was wrapped around his shoulders.

"What… do… you mean?" James asked, coughing a little.

Lily was watching him, and the sadness struck James as dangerous.

"You could join me, and we could become powerful together," Voldemort said, his eyes watching every movement that James made.

"Never," James spat, "I will never join you." Lily's eyes widened slightly, but Voldemort wasn't in the mood for games.

"Well, I guess that's that then," he said, mock sadness in his voice. "I had hoped it wouldn't come to this, but you leave me no choice. _Avada Ked—_"

A burst of red light illuminated the room before Voldemort could get the words out.

"James, get Lily out," Dumbledore said, as he came into the room.

James nodded, not wasting any time as he plucked Lily up into his arms.

"Lily, hold on, I've got you," James muttered. Lily wrapped her arm around James's neck.

"I know," she whispered.

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James wasn't surprised to see his picture on the front of the Daily Prophet for the next couple of weeks. He just ignored the article, reading the Quidditch updates.

"James," Sirius whined, "you aren't going to learn anything from the sports section." James looked at him, but wasn't really listening.

Remus shook his head, flipping through the book he was reading. "What's there to learn?" he asked, looking up from the page.

Sirius paused. "Damn it, I don't know," he said.

"Exactly, it's really nothing, because James was there."

"Maybe it will update him."

"But it hasn't. All that it is is speculation on the reporters' part. There is nothing new on it."

Sirius pouted. "Go back to your book," he said, resentfully. Remus chuckled.

He held his book up. "But I've already read this one," he said, a smile on his lips.

Sirius waved his hand. "Whatever, just read," he said.

"Fine, I'm reading."

James heaved a sigh, making a big noise with his newspaper, and Sirius subsided immediately.

"Hey, James, how's Lily doing?" Remus asked a couple of minutes later.

"She's at home now, but she really wants to stay with me," James replied, running a hand through his hair absentmindedly.

Remus nodded. "I can see why," he said, "you seem to get into a lot of trouble even without her around."

"I know, but I don't know that I'm ready for the 'living together' part. Yes, she's pregnant, and yes, it's my child," said before Sirius could make a comment, "but having her with me 24/7 is a bit too much."

James put the newspaper down, and looked at his best friends. He knew that they meant well, but he wasn't ready for their meddling.

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"Hey Lily," James said, walking into her room. She looked up, a smile playing on her lips.

"How's the little one today?" he asked, placing a warm hand on her tummy.

"He's alive and kicking," she said, just before James felt the kick. He smiled.

"Well, it's good to know," he said, placing a kiss on her lips and sitting next to her.

"You do know that I'm a witch right?" she asked, curiosity lacing her tone.

He shook his head. "No, I didn't know that," he said, "But it makes it a lot easier to see why Voldemort wanted you."

"Does it? It doesn't help me any," she said, sadly. James wrapped his arm around her, holding her close to him.

"Lily, something has been nagging at me," he said, "why did Dumbledore seem to know you?"

Her reaction shocked him. "Dumbledore was there?" she asked, shock lacing her tone. "I wonder why…"

"You didn't answer my question," James said.

"I know Dumbledore because he was the one who told me in the first place that I was a witch. But I didn't go to Hogwarts for training. Dumbledore figured it was safer that way. I was supposed to live like a Muggle."

James nodded. "That makes sense, I guess. But when I met you, why were you working as a stripper?"

She had the grace to blush. "I'm really not a stripper, James; that was my cover. I was supposed to get close to you, so that I could save you. At least that was what I was told by Remus."

"Remus knew about this, and he never told me? The next time I see him, I'll-"

"No you won't. Remus really cares about you, and he knew that I did too. I've been watching you for years James. You just seemed too far above me."

"Well, I'm not," he answered, and that was all that was said between them afterward.

**A/N: another update. I hope that you enjoyed this! I don't think this is going to be much longer. Maybe another two or three chapters. I want to be done with this after Harry is born. Leave a review on your way out?**

**Serindraxx **


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, but I do own the story line.**

**Love Me**

A month after the attack on James, Dumbledore called a meeting. He figured it was better that Lily be formally introduced than for the others to learn later through the Prophet.

"As you all know," he said, looking around at everyone in the room, "Miss Evans was attacked a month ago by Voldemort. But her importance has only been guessed at." This last was directed at James, who nodded.

"The Prophet has been speculating for the last month about the attacks, assuming, of course, that Miss Evans was attacked simply because of Mr. Potter, who has been dating her since before the incident. That is only partly true."

The gasps around the room filled Lily with strength so that she could say what she needed to. "I'm pregnant, and it's James's child," she said, quietly. She felt everyone's stares, but refused to let them cow her.

Remus stared at her, in confusion and in fear of her safety. "Should she be part of this meeting, sir?" he asked, running a hand through his sandy hair. "She's in more danger than any of the rest of us."

"On the contrary, Mr. Lupin, she is needed. Without our protection, our only chance of defeating Voldemort will disappear."

At this announcement, the room became quiet. The heads were slowly turning to face Lily and James, both of whom refused to meet each gaze. "Can we protect her without her being at the meetings?" someone called out, and Lily stiffened.

Dumbledore shook his head. "Not without major protection spells, which she has flatly refused. I can't say that I agree with her, but it is her decision and her life."

James muttered something under his breath. "She could stay with me, sir," he said, standing up, "it is my child she's carrying after all."

"That would be the ideal solution, Mr. Potter, one I myself was loath to bring up. When I mentioned it to her two weeks ago however, she emphatically said no, not wishing to force you into anything."

"This is exactly why I didn't want it," Lily said, "I don't want to be taken under protection because of guilt." She faced James, and tugged him down so that he was sitting. "I want you to protect me because you want to. Not because you need or were forced to."

Dumbledore watched this exchange, a knowing look in his eyes. "I think this meeting is adjourned for now. I will let you know when our next meeting will be."

Chairs were shoved, and as people started heading out, some stopped to say congratulations to the two parents-to-be.

Molly Weasley, visibly pregnant herself, was the first. "Congratulations Lily. I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one. Arthur is insistent that I stay home, but this isn't my first time. I admit to being terrified though."

Lily smiled. "I'm sure there are others. I'm just the only one who's come forward about it."

Molly shrugged. "Possibly. But anyway, do you know when the baby's due yet? The doctor estimates I'm due around the end of February, or the beginning of March."

Lily shook her head. "I haven't consulted anyone about it yet."

"Well, you don't actually have to. It's probably better to know though." Molly chuckled.

"I'll look into it," Lily promised, dropping a kiss on Molly's cheek.

The lines dwindled and eventually it was just James and Lily by themselves.

"Lily, I want to protect you, I do," he said, running a finger along her cheek. "But I don't feel confident enough in my own abilities to do that."

Lily grabbed his hand, nuzzling her face into it. "Dumbledore promised that he would do all that he could to protect me, but he needed you to help as well. I didn't want to involve you, because I was afraid of your reaction."

James wrapped his arms around her, resting his head in her hair.

In the corner, unobserved by them both, a shadowed figure slunk away.

888

A couple days after the meeting, Lily was living with James. He had insisted, telling her that he wanted her near him, but she still wasn't sure of him.

Remus came over more often, knowing Lily liked his company.

"How come is it that I never knew you were a witch?" he asked one morning.

Lily stopped what she was doing and looked at him. "Because it never came up; and wasn't important to begin with."

"No, I don't think it was," James said, coming into the kitchen and dropping a kiss on Lily's head.

"James. I thought you were on assignment today," she said, pouring a cup of tea.

James nodded. "I was supposed to, but Frank and Sirius told me to go home."

"I hope you weren't rude," Remus said, giving him a disapproving look.

"No, but I was distracted today, and that might have been part of it," James replied, sitting down and pulling Lily onto his lap.

"Ah, James," Remus started to say, but Lily waved him off.

Remus watched in silent disbelief as Lily dragged James toward the bedroom, wishing he'd had a chance to say what he'd needed to; because this was going to end badly. He just knew it.

_AN: HEY! Guess what? My muse is back! Mmmm, anyway, I hope you enjoyed the update. Review on your way out?_

_Serindraxx _


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